I had my first hunt for this roar with a couple of mates last night and this morning.
I got onto 3 stags this morning that were chasing each other around and roaring a bit. They would answer me, but I couldn’t get them in the ‘scope long enough for a shot. A couple came out onto a clearing for a chase around, but not long enough for a shot. Then one by himself trotted out, roared, and then disappeared again.
I was working my way down to them when one roared another 100 yards around the face, and came out onto a little ridge. I had pre ranged the general area and knew it was about 400 yards, so I quickly sat down with 6.5 resting over a Tawhine bush, lined the 400 yards dot up and let strip. He bolted immediately, and was out of sight in a flash, but I saw him stumble slightly. So I had a fair idea I had got him. I ranged over to where he had been. 429 yards.
He was on the ridge in this pic, just by the Kowhai tree.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e4...pseb5861e5.jpg
It took about an hour to find my way down and across to where he had been. The creek was gorgy with little water falls, which made it difficult to find a way into it. As we crossed the creek Tilly wanted to head down stream, but I pulled her in and told her we had to climb up onto the ridge where I had last seen it. She kept winding back down as I climbed up to the Kowhai tree. There were heavy scuff marks where he had bolted over the side and we soon found blood. Tilly was keen but I kept her in ’til ‘bout half way down to the creek. When I released her there was silence for a minute or so, and then a bark and the rattle of stones in the creek. There were scuff marks all of the way down, and I soon found the stag where it had tipped over a 6 foot bank into the creek. Tilly had been right all along. :) It was still alive, so I gave it a mercy shot in the neck to finish its misery.
The 140 grn SST had hit it low in the chest and had angled through to the opposite back leg.
Here’s a vid:
Roar Stag - YouTube
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e4...ps903b16f6.jpg
I set too to butcher the stag and to get its head off, and then with a heavy load I worked my way back the way I had come. It took a couple hours to get to a place where I could dump my load and wait for my mates to call on the hand held radio to say that they had finished their hunt (they had got a pig), and they were heading around to give me hand. I was a bit buggered, but I had had an amazing time doing what I like best. Incidentally, I have now shot an 11 pointer for each of the last 3 roars. Maybe a 12 is just around the next corner.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e4...psc3a3c90c.jpg
